


Out Of Breath

by hondansadeensommar



Series: Multifandom Hurt/Comfort Oneshots [23]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Gen, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Major Illness, Pain, Sick Character, Sickfic, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 07:16:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19970128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hondansadeensommar/pseuds/hondansadeensommar
Summary: “Is it just me, or do his lips look kind of blue?”





	Out Of Breath

“Are you feeling alright, Yeosangie?” Wooyoung asked, wrapping himself around Yeosang’s back like a koala as they left the stage after their rehearsal, heading back towards the green room to finish getting ready for the day’s performance.

“I’m fine… just tired,” Yeosang replied, taking a deep breath to try and get rid of the nagging feeling that there just wasn’t enough oxygen in his lungs.It was a feeling that had become increasingly common since they’d debuted less than a year earlier, and it seemed to only be getting worse the further they got into promotions for their third mini album.It didn’t help that Yeosang was constantly exhausted, due to the lack of time to actually rest between schedules.It had been that way for almost a year - never getting enough time to rest, never getting more than a couple of hours of sleep at a time.Yeosang knew that he really shouldn’t complain that much; the other members were getting the same amount of rest, if not even less than he was.

“You looked like you were struggling out there…” Seonghwa commented as they made it back into their dressing room, pulling Yeosang aside.“Are you sure that you’re okay?”

“I’m just really tired, _hyung_ ,” Yeosang replied, shaking his head. 

“ _Yah_ … don’t just write it off,” Seonghwa chided.“What’s going on?I know that you’re not just tired… what else is happening?”

Yeosang sighed, closing his eyes.“I’m just out of breath right now… I don’t know, maybe I’m starting to get sick or something…”Yeosang shook his head.“We’ve been working so hard for so long, everyone’s starting to get sick or injured… we need a break.”

Seonghwa sighed, nodding.“I know.Hongjoong- _ah_ is pushing for us to get at least a few days off after we finish promotions,” the older man replied.“I still think you should go see a doctor… maybe you’re anemic or something.”

“Maybe,” Yeosang commented, shaking his head.“I don’t know… I just want to go sit down and try to rest for a little while.We have so much to do today…”

“Go lay down… I’ll get the _noonas_ to push you until last for finishing up hair and makeup,” Seonghwa replied.

“Thanks, _hyung_.”

Yeosang went into the room, moving towards the blanket that had been laid out on the floor for them to stretch out and try to catch at least a little more sleep.Jongho and Yunho had both laid down on it, leaving just enough room for Yeosang to stretch out in between the two.Yeosang wasn’t even sure if he was still awake when his head landed on the floor.

Yeosang woke up to someone lifting his head, gently placing something soft beneath his head since he’d rolled onto his side in his sleep.“I’m worried about him…” San commented softly.“He’s been so tired, and he’s been getting out of breath so easily… it just keeps getting worse…”

“I know… I’m worried, too,” Hongjoong commented.Yeosang felt someone stroking a hand down his back.“I think we’re going to have to force him to go see a doctor sooner rather than later…”

“Is it just me, or do his lips look kind of blue?” San asked, barely above a whisper.

“ _Aish_ … San- _ah_ , get a manager, now…”Yeosang felt Hongjoong start to shake him gently, starting to pull him into a seated position.“C’mon, Sangie, you have to wake up…”

“What?” Yeosang asked, forcing his eyes open.He honestly felt as though he hadn’t slept at all, although he could see that the rest of his members were all mostly ready to go.“ _Aish_ … I’m late…”

“You aren’t going on,” Hongjoong replied, holding Yeosang so that he couldn’t move to start getting ready.“I’m making them pull you, and you’re going to the doctor…”

Yeosang shook his head.“No, _hyung_ … after the show…”

“What’s going on?”The group’s manager knelt down next to the two of them, obviously concerned.“San- _ah_ said that you were sick, Yeosang- _ah_ …”

Yeosang shook his head.“I’m just really tired,” Yeosang began.

“His lips were turning blue while he was asleep,” Hongjoong replied.“I’m worried that he might be really sick… he’s so tired, and he’s struggling to keep up.I think he needs to be pulled and taken to the doctor…”

“I can perform,” Yeosang replied, shaking his head.“ _Hyung_ , I’ll go after the show.But we don’t have time to pull me before the performance.It’s one song…”

It was obvious that their manager was conflicted, as he considered the options.“You feel well enough to go on stage?” the older man asked.

“I don’t even feel sick… I’m probably just anemic or something,” Yeosang replied.

The manager sighed.“Go get your hair and makeup done.But we’re all leaving as soon as the performance is over, and I’m taking you to the doctor once I drop the other guys off at the dorm,” the manager replied.“I’m cancelling tonight’s rehearsal time, because you all need a break.”

“You can’t really send him on stage if he’s not getting enough oxygen…” Hongjoong began.

The manager sighed.“I don’t have a choice… you know what the company is like.I’m already probably going to get yelled at for letting all of you have the evening off while I take him to the hospital,” their manager replied.“If Yeosang- _ah_ thinks he can do it, I have no choice but to let him go on stage.”

“Sangie…” Hongjoong began.

“I can do it, _hyung_ ,” Yeosang replied.Hongjoong didn’t seem convinced, but he let Yeosang go anyway.

Yeosang barely managed to finish getting ready as the rest of his group was ushered out to the backstage area, getting his mic wires taped down just in time to run to catch up with the other guys.He was still exhausted, but Yeosang knew that there definitely wasn’t any backing out at this point.

By the end of their performance, Yeosang felt fairly certain that Hongjoong had been right in saying that he should have been pulled from the performance.He was positive that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen at that point, and if it wasn’t for Jongho grabbing him as his knees started to give way.“ _Aish_ … _hyung_ , are you okay?”

Yeosang didn’t get the chance to answer before a sharp, stabbing pain in his left side made his vision blur and nearly knocked the breath out of him.He didn’t even register that Jongho had picked him up, rushing him back to the dressing room and laying him out on the blanket he’d been laying down on earlier.Yeosang instinctively curled in on himself, trying to find a position that would relieve the pain.

***

Yeosang felt like he was floating as he slowly blinked his eyes open.Everything felt a bit like time was running in slow-motion, and Yeosang wasn’t really sure what was going on.He could vaguely hear an odd beeping noise nearby, and he could feel that there was something stretched across his face and hooked behind both of his ears.“Yeosangie… are you awake now, _aegi_?” a soft voice asked.Yeosang turned towards the voice, smiling as he recognized Seonghwa sitting next to him.“Hey… how are you feeling?”

“I’m floating…” Yeosang replied, letting his eyes close.“Where are we?”

“You’re in the hospital,” Seonghwa replied softly.“Do you remember what happened, _aegi_?”Yeosang felt the man stroking a hand through his hair gently, a move that Yeosang thought would likely put him right back to sleep soon enough.“Are you falling asleep again?”

“Again?” Yeosang asked.

“Yeah… you’ve been in and out like this ever since you came out of surgery,” Seonghwa replied.That got Yeosang’s attention, and he turned back towards the older man in confusion.“Your spleen ruptured, as a complication of a blood clot.They had to remove most of your spleen to stop the bleeding.”

“That’s bad…” Yeosang began.

Seonghwa chuckled.“That’s like the third time you’ve said that, _aegi_ ,” the older man replied.Yeosang forced his eyes open, trying to lift his head so that he could look for the incision on his abdomen.“Whoa, whoa… don’t move, okay?You still have a drain in your chest, and you need to rest.”

“What about promotions?” Yeosang asked, relaxing back into the bed as Seonghwa gently guided his head back to the pillow.“We just started…”

“You’re done,” Seonghwa replied.“You’re going to need time to heal from this surgery, and you’re going to have a lot of doctor’s appointments over the next couple of months.The company had announced that you’re going to be taking an indefinite hiatus for health reasons, until everything is sorted out.”

Yeosang couldn’t help feeling confused.“But they fixed my spleen, right?It’s not still bleeding?” he asked.

“No, no, you’re okay,” Seonghwa replied, shaking his head.“Why don’t you try to get some rest, okay?We can talk about everything when you’re more awake.I don’t want to overwhelm you when you’re still so heavily medicated and I don’t think that you’ll remember most of it the next time you wake up.”

***

Yeosang stared out the window of his hospital room, still trying to process everything he had learned that morning.It was overwhelming, to say the least - his morning had started off with multiple vaccinations because his body was no longer capable of fighting off simple illnesses that _should_ have been no problem, followed by a very long discussion with his doctors about what their next steps would be.More vaccinations, more medication, more surgery, more time out of promotions.It was just all too much.

“Yeosangie?”Yeosang didn’t move, even as he heard San’s voice coming from the doorway of his room.He had finally gotten the drainage tube out of his chest, which meant that he had finally been moved into a normal hospital room to continue to be monitored before he was released.“Hey… are you okay?”

“I don’t know…” Yeosang replied, shaking his head.He closed his eyes as San stroked a hand through his hair, before depositing his favorite plushie into Yeosang’s arms.“You brought me Shiber?” Yeosang asked, moving to squeeze the plushie with his right hand.

“I figured you could use some company, since we aren’t allowed to stay with you,” San replied.“It’s just to borrow, until you come back to the dorms.” 

Yeosang closed his eyes at the idea, before starting to hand the plushie back.“I don’t know that I am…” he replied softly.“You should keep Shiber.He’s your favorite.”

“ _Yah_ … what are you talking about?Of course you’re coming back,” San replied, pushing Shiber back into Yeosang’s lap gently.

“There’s a hole in my heart…” Yeosang replied, shaking his head.

There was a long silence, before San spoke up again.“Seonghwa- _hyung_ said that they could fix it, though… that you had options…”

Yeosang closed his eyes, shaking his head.“I don’t want to talk about it, San- _ah_ ,” Yeosang replied softly. 

Yeosang felt San playing with his hair gently.“Do you want to lay down?I can’t imagine that sleeping sitting up is all that comfortable…” San commented.

“Help me?” Yeosang asked.

Yeosang was thankful for San’s presence, as the other man helped him over to the bed.Moving was painful, and he needed San to help him maintain his balance for the few steps back to the bed.He smiled as San carefully put Shiber back in his lap once Yeosang was tucked back under the covers.“There… do you need anything?” San asked.

“Can you just lay with me for a while?” Yeosang asked.“There’s plenty of room…”

San smiled, nodding and moving to climb into the bed on Yeosang’s right side.“Comfortable?” San asked, moving Yeosang slightly so that he could put his arm around Yeosang’s shoulders.Yeosang nodded slowly, letting his eyes close again.

“Please don’t tell the others…” Yeosang began.

“Tell them what?”San was clearly confused by Yeosang’s words.

“That I might not be back,” Yeosang replied.“I don’t want them all to worry about me.I don’t want to leave… I just don’t know if I _can_ come back.It’s open-heart surgery…”

“Not necessarily,” San replied.“We looked it up… they might be able to fix it without having to do any of that.”Yeosang felt San gently take his hand, squeezing it gently.“You shouldn’t worry too much, you know… it’s still going to be a few weeks before any of that can happen.You still have to heal from this surgery first.”

Yeosang nodded slowly.“I just… if they have to crack open my chest, I don’t know that I can come back after that… it’ll leave a massive scar, and it’s going to take forever to heal.I’ll be out for months…” Yeosang replied. 

“I’d rather have you out for months than gone completely,” San replied.“We all would.Because even if you come back with a massive scar on your chest, you’d still be back with us.And I’m sure that Atiny would agree with us on that…”

“What if I can’t dance?” Yeosang asked softly.“What if they can’t fix it?Or they do, but it doesn’t work and I still have a hole in my heart?”

“Then we figure it out,” San replied.“Whatever happens, you are a part of Ateez.That doesn’t change just because you got sick.”Yeosang sighed, nodding at the older man’s words.“Try not to worry about it, okay?Get some rest.”


End file.
